DUDES??? This is a SUPER SUPER SATURATED FIELD, meaning there's no longer need to pay any money for software like this, unless they provide users with unique and advanced features, which are unfortunately missing in this GAOTD!!

2 THUMBS DOWN from me!!!

BEST and BETTER FREE ALTERNATIVES (besides TrueCrypt and Axcrypt)

* Portable FreeOTFE Explorer (==> My Personal First Choice)
This is an awesome FREE highly PORTABLE disk encryption program, which can create one or more "virtual disks" on your PC/PDA where every file/folder is encrypted before being stored on your PC hard drive. However, its main feature is its ability to be used with USB flash drives, since it enables users to gain access on their encrypted volumes even on Windows PCs where this tool hasn’t been installed (i.e. in Internet Café).
So it’s a perfect app for those people like me who love carrying their sensitive data securely on a USB drive or other removable media without any hassle.Cyphers include AES (256 bit), Twofish (256 bit), Serpent (256 bit) and even Blowfish (448 bit), a feature missing in most paid encryption software out there: COOL, isn’t it??
It supports password salting (up to 512 bits), thus reducing the risk to see your passwords being cracked by dictionary attacks.
Encrypted volumes can be either file or partition based.

* A+ Folder Locker Free Edition (==> Cool APP)
Amazing FREE tool designed to keep hackers and other prying eyes away from your sensitive data stored in your PC.
In short it creates new LOCKERS where you can put any files, folders, and/or programs you want to be protected.
Each locker is securely protected through advanced encryption algorithms and multilevel anti-hacking security, whose degree may increase should hacking attempts continue.
It sports a powerful built-in Virtual Keyboard, which makes pretty impossible to capture users' pattern passwords even in systems infected by keyloggers: cool, isn't it?
Can also be used to permanently delete any Files & Folders of your choice from your system, without any chance of being recovered by any professional file recovery tool out there.

· Coding of any type of files
· Integrating Windows Explorer to explore more rapidly
· Creating one password for decoding (as well as the hidden internal)
· Secure encryption of login passwords, PIN numbers, serial codes, etc....
· Inability to be cracked using the "Brute Force" (if the password is wrong does not show the classic error message intercepted by the crackers, but is decoded in the wrong way and the file will appear illegible).

* Toolwiz BSafe
Very effective and easy to use encryption app designed to protect your sensitive data in a very straightforward way: in short it creates a "virtual safe drive", using AES 256 encryption algorithm, which works just like a virtual drive once unlocked with the right password. Files within this "virtual safe drive" are instantly encrypted on-the-fly and when they are closed all virtual drives are instantly dismounted, leaving the "virtual safes" encrypted.
So there is no way to retrieve your encrypted files & folders, unless you know the right password, of course.
It also sports advanced protection options against hacking attacks, such as the ability to immediately burn all your passwords in the RAM, so as to prevent any password hijacking attempt.

You love the CLOUD (Dropbox, SkyDrive, Mozy etc..) and are eager to share your files & folder with other via email, USB, LAN, P2P etc..., but at the same time you are scared by the idea that some snoopers out there may be able to capture your TCP/IP packets with a (FREE of course) packet sniffers like Wireshark??

Well be happy & don't worry, because with Giovanni there's always a FREE solution even for issues like this:

But how about hiding for FREE your important files in JPEG images, mp3, FLV files and even into executable files (exe, msi), rather than protecting them with a password?? Too good to be true? Certainly NOT!!

Cons
*Extremely slow when creating self-extracting encrypted standalone EXEs
*Doesn’t support drag + drop
*Keeps a history of encrypted/decrypted files. History can be manually cleared and this behavior can be disabled from settings but it is enabled by default.
*Is buggy

@ FrancisBorne, post #2: Democracy is not a guide to criminality. National flags are not a guide to integrity.

Where today's developer is concerned, the comfort factor for potential users derives less from its German address as from a website bedecked with 'awards', the majority of which are merely "100% Virus Free" floss or are non-reviews from click collectors like Best Vista Downloads and Download 300 which publish anything that any developer says and then hand out lots of meaningless stars.

A software developer as well-established as 1-abc.net has been around long enough to know what is a genuine award and what isn't. That it chooses to hype its wares in the way it does raises the question of just how far it is to be trusted -- and especially with the critical task of computer security.

On which basis, thanks GAOTD, but no thanks. A potential $19.99 re-install cost for something which Axcrypt has been doing free of charge for years (and without any misleading 'awards') is a reminder that, in the world of software, what you say and how you say it is a lot more important than where you are.

First, you have to question *any* encryption software that is not open sourced because if the coding is not done correctly, you leave yourself open.

Second, this vendor doesn't help their case any by failing to publish the strength of their methods. Is this 128-AES or 256-AES, for example?

Third, there seems little point in including some of the methods they've used, like Caesar for instance. As to #11 and his/her/its "blowfish is deprecated" comment ... the word "uber-stupd" comes to mind because there is NOTHING wrong with 448-blowfish; at least not with properly implemented code.

All of that having been said, you have to ask who you're protecting your information from? The Significant Other? Mumsy & Dada? Big Bro? You're probably safe with anything you choose; this included. Hackers? They won't waste time either because there are plenty of other fish in the sea that are not encrypted.

If you want to protect yourself against more nefarious bad guys, they'll probably just kill you rather than trying to decode this thing so it doesn't matter anyway.

If you're hiding out from the gov't, do you REALLY think the gov't hasn't figured out how to break ANY of these methods by now?? SERIOUSLY?? What, they've got a message from Al Qaeda but it's encrypted so they say "Darn, guess we're out of luck"?? Please. If you are not smarter than that, you are beyond help.

The fact is, though, that you probably already have an effective encryption program installed right now, as long as you have an archive program that supports .7z (7 zip) or .zipx (the new zip format) ... and almost programs do. It is AES-256 and it is as good as anything.

Bottom-line: Don't listen to the fools here. If you don't have anything else, you might as well use this. This offering is a little more convenient than using your zip program but just about anything you choose will work as good as anything else.